tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20951746.post9123051509958142282..comments2023-05-15T01:25:47.032-07:00Comments on Fullbright: Single-A gamesSteve gaynorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516595172941914708noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20951746.post-46220216945095448382009-10-16T05:08:38.321-07:002009-10-16T05:08:38.321-07:00Even smaller and less ambitious than the games you...Even smaller and less ambitious than the games you've highlighted are the ones made by Flashbang (<a href="http://blurst.com" rel="nofollow">blurst.com</a>). And while it's true they don't seem to be making any money yet, the costs for one of their games is so much smaller (I imagine) than that of Zeno Clash or The Path. That's because of their smaller scope, yes, but it's George Buckenhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18393654688588850226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20951746.post-46642428021805663892009-06-15T12:07:10.367-07:002009-06-15T12:07:10.367-07:00I know I'm coming into this conversation quite...I know I'm coming into this conversation quite late, but it's partly because I only heard about Zeno Clash very recently. I've managed to go this long without creating a Steam account (not really sure how) and I'm sure that's part of the reason. As previously mentioned, spending any amount of time on XBOX Live exposes you to ads for all their services. In this way, XBOX Live Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14045841709149714985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20951746.post-35159198439035839492009-05-10T16:34:00.000-07:002009-05-10T16:34:00.000-07:00Hi. I'm one of the devs of Zeno Clash, so I just w...Hi. I'm one of the devs of Zeno Clash, so I just wanted to add my two cents in regards to the feasibility of making these type of games (and a bit in response to Jonathan's reply which is quite insightful).<br /><br />Zeno Clash has not been a huge seller still. We are currently covering the project's cost and it would be correct to say that getting a XBLA port would be the next step to help Carlos Bordeuhttp://www.zenoclash.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20951746.post-38331536292475375772009-05-10T15:27:00.000-07:002009-05-10T15:27:00.000-07:00The triple A games for the most part lose money, a...The triple A games for the most part lose money, about 10% make a lot of money the rest are generally at best breaking even or at worst losing money. It is very much a hit driven industry and it is hard to see why the lower budget games won't work in much the same manner.<br /><br />Maybe once in a while one will come along that makes a fortune but most will either fizzle or make just enough to Eamonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20951746.post-42063602087321222842009-05-10T15:24:00.000-07:002009-05-10T15:24:00.000-07:00Steve, one of the funders of The Path was a US org...Steve, one of the funders of The Path was a US organisation (Creative Capital). So this type of funding is not just available in Belgium.<br /><br />But I have to agree: we need more non-commercial funding and less dependence on huge corporations with their "friendly-to-indie" channels. There's work to be done here. And it should not be stopped by capitalism.Michael Samynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06876210549451561173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20951746.post-56877203691601956702009-05-07T12:09:00.000-07:002009-05-07T12:09:00.000-07:00I have thought of them as triple-B titles for a wh...I have thought of them as triple-B titles for a while, but as a baseball fan I'm surprised I hadn't thought of Single-A. Maybe Double-A games could be Single-A games that get picked up by AAA publishers. Anywho, I officially second your nomenclature, hear hear!George Bhttp://unearthedarcana.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20951746.post-41534642790606895802009-05-06T08:27:00.000-07:002009-05-06T08:27:00.000-07:00Hoatzin brings up another valid angle-- sources of...Hoatzin brings up another valid angle-- sources of funding. Perhaps more big-name publishers will take on the Fox Searchlight/Miramax/Sony Pictures Classics approach and begin funding single-A projects with some of the profit from their successful blockbuster games. And perhaps in the States we'll begin to see more non-profit-focused funding sources, such as the ones that made The Path viable to Steve gaynorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01516595172941914708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20951746.post-1792021413638754792009-05-06T08:05:00.000-07:002009-05-06T08:05:00.000-07:00Thanks for the insight here. We are starting up a ...Thanks for the insight here. We are starting up a small studio in Chicago this summer that revolves around the concept of smaller, market response games.<br /><br />I have to say that it was tempting to take on the 6 month to a year scope thinking that more polish would result. But sales data gives us a set of constraints that seem to be resulting in some creative fuel.<br /><br />I like the ideaJoshua Hernandezhttp://www.metamoorephosis.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20951746.post-86156642427260487262009-05-06T07:17:00.000-07:002009-05-06T07:17:00.000-07:00MAYBE these prospectively unsuccessful indie devel...MAYBE these prospectively unsuccessful indie developers should spend more time sanctimoniously damning prevailing game design philosophies at industry gatherings. As a promotion technique, you see.<br /><br />MAYBE we should tax World of Warcraft and all those yearly sports games and use the monies to subsidize indie game development.<br /><br />Ubisoft has already subsidized some of their games Hoatzin, Man of Mysteryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04989133536971398859noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20951746.post-8517940427251688172009-05-06T00:09:00.000-07:002009-05-06T00:09:00.000-07:00I would like to register my whole-hearted agreemen...I would like to register my whole-hearted agreement. When HL2 first came out I had like ten mod ideas, all games I'd loved to have played. V:TM was just the beginning; I saw source (the engine used for Zeno Clash, as you doubtless realised with that first loading screen) as this great, accessible engine that could serve anyone's creativity. Why aren't people making more? Why aren't Valve allowingJazmeisterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06411953901137184697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20951746.post-30772815390259441172009-05-05T22:13:00.000-07:002009-05-05T22:13:00.000-07:00Jon-- thanks for sharing your experience. I think ...Jon-- thanks for sharing your experience. I think it's fair to question the financial viability of this approach to game making, as the field is fairly unproven. And I don't have a strong prediction either way (I haven't really thought much about this aspect, or been through the funding travails of an independent developer.)<br /><br />I wish that Valve would release hard sales numbers, as the Steve gaynorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01516595172941914708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20951746.post-80128141513733335112009-05-05T11:14:00.000-07:002009-05-05T11:14:00.000-07:00So, in response to Jonathan's comment above, I wou...So, in response to Jonathan's comment above, I would profer that the reason you see those stats in the ditch has less to do with the "PC Market" and more to do with the manner in which titles distributed through digital channels only are marketed (i.e. very little if at all). <br /><br />Xbox Live has a very tight system of marketing titles - in the case of Braid this was done through Summer of Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20951746.post-46057436492801226652009-05-05T09:54:00.000-07:002009-05-05T09:54:00.000-07:00I agree that it's nice that indies are able to pro...I agree that it's nice that indies are able to produce games with good-looking 3D graphics. But you fundamentally have to ask whether this is sustainable -- that is, whether enough people are buying these games for them to even remotely break even.<br /><br />I don't have any way of directly seeing the sales stats for these games, but there is publicly-available knowledge to give you a pretty Jonathan Blowhttp://braid-game.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20951746.post-3062113255379244472009-05-05T09:07:00.000-07:002009-05-05T09:07:00.000-07:00Upon leaving the path, there is no way to return t...<I>Upon leaving the path, there is no way to return to it-- the only way to escape the woods is to find the girl's Wolf.</I>Actually, if you interact with the Girl in White, she'll take your hand and lead you back to the path. I did this my first time through, playing as Ginger, not recognizing the Wolf or understand how to interact with her/it.<br /><br />It's interesting to think about how Nels Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06484436433023780229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20951746.post-30717109005510411362009-05-05T02:34:00.000-07:002009-05-05T02:34:00.000-07:00great post, I wholeheartedly agree.
BTW, Carmine i...great post, I wholeheartedly agree.<br />BTW, Carmine is a deep red colour. The name Carmen is likely referencing that.spindriftnoreply@blogger.com